Probe Of Crash Will Challenge Experts

More tears in Camelot

Several Pieces Of Key Evidence Are Being Lost, Destroyed Or Damaged As They Drift Toward The Ocean Floor.

July 19, 1999|By Washington Post

The investigation into what caused the apparent crash of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane will be unusually complicated because the plane went down in the ocean, but experienced investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are capable of pulling secrets from what appears to be a pile of junk.

The U.S. Coast Guard focused search efforts Sunday afternoon on a smaller area off the southwest coast of Martha's Vineyard, and sources expressed optimism that the plane would be found soon. Nonetheless, evidence was disappearing hour by hour on the ocean floor, corroded by salt water, washed away by tides or even eaten by ocean creatures.

It is already too late to collect some evidence from the bodies of the victims, such as bodily fluids that could give investigators information not only about a person's condition but also whether fire or dangerous gases were present in the cockpit.

But there is much investigators can do.

The area off Martha's Vineyard has an abundance of nearby radar sites that will allow investigators to reconstruct the last movements of the plane.

Already, the data have allowed the safety board to determine the course of the flight and its altitude. Investigators said Sunday that the plane took off at 8:38 p.m. from Caldwell, N.J., flew north of nearby Teterboro Airport and then east along the southern coast of Connecticut at 5,600 feet.

Near Westerly, R.I., at 9:26 p.m., it began a descent toward Martha's Vineyard.

At 9:40 p.m., it was recorded at 2,500 feet. At 9:40 and 29 seconds, the next radar ``hit'' recorded it at 1,800 feet - a descent rate of 1,400 feet per minute if it descended at an even rate. That is within the capabilities of the plane, but somewhat more steep than normal, according to pilots. A 600 feet-per-minute rate would be considered more comfortable for passengers.

Air-traffic control voice tapes revealed that Kennedy made no radio calls in those final minutes. People familiar with Kennedy's plane said it didn't have a voice-recording device aboard.

One of the first priorities for recovery is the propeller and engine. Hitting a body of water at high speed is almost like smashing into concrete, and a metal propeller such as the one on Kennedy's plane will bend in ways that can tell investigators whether it was turning or stopped.

The engine is the most rugged part of the airplane, and it likely survived the crash largely intact. Investigators can often spot an engine problem from an external inspection. In high-profile cases such as this one, the engine is sent to the manufacturer for a detailed breakdown.

Sometimes investigators can tell a lot by looking for paint smears or deep scratches on the surface that would be caused by parts that broke off the plane and hit other parts of the aircraft. Similarly, there are telltale marks for bending, torsion and shears.